cash embezzlement@ SKS MICRO FINANCE

There was cash embezzlement by the employees to the tune of Rs2.5 crore and loans given to non-existent borrowers was Rs13.3 crore, the micro lender said in its annual report

 

Hyderabad: SKS Microfinance has said that some of its employees have cheated the company to the tune of Rs15.8 crore in the last financial year, reports PTI.

The services of employees involved have been terminated and the company has written off over Rs14 crore.
 

The auditors of the company have reported that there was cash embezzlement by the employees to the tune of Rs2.5 crore and loans given to non-existent borrowers was Rs13.3 crore, the micro lender said in its annual report.
 

“We have been informed that during the year there were instances of cash embezzlements by the employees of the company aggregating Rs2,50,91,317; and loans given to non-existent borrowers on the basis of fictitious documentation created by the employees of the company aggregating Rs13,33,13,975,” auditors SR Batliboi & Co said in the annual report.
 

“The services of all such employees involved have been terminated and the company is in the process of taking legal action. The outstanding balance (net of recovery) aggregating Rs14,24,40,656 has been written off,” the auditors added.
 

SKS said that employee fraud is an inherent risk in the business the company operates in, since all the transactions are cash-based.
 

In case of cash embezzlements, the company has recovered an amount of Rs1,08,59,714 including the insurance cover.
 

Cash embezzlement is 0.09% of disbursement during the year, SKS clarified.

According to the annual report, total disbursements in the 2011-12 stood at Rs 2,736 crore.
 

To mitigate this risk to a large extent, the management has put in place several preventive control measures such as procuring indemnity bond from every field staff, with personal guarantee of a third person.
 

“Every bank transaction (deposit/ withdrawal) is to be executed by minimum of two staff comprising a bank signatory and a confirmed staff. The strongbox at every branch is controlled by two keys and the keys are held by two different employees in the branch,” SKS informed.
 

The company also said that surprise visits are conducted by managerial employees, at the time of carrying out cash/bank transactions by field employees besides minimising the cash balances at various branches to the lowest level possible (Rs50,000+ next day disbursement).
 

In case of cash embezzlements, SKS said it has taken fidelity insurance to minimise the losses from cash embezzlements.
 

In case of loans given to non-existent/fictitious borrowers, SKS said it has recovered an amount of Rs73,97,648 against these cases including insurance cover. These cases are 0.49% of disbursement during the year.